AEGiS-12IAC: Potential protective effect of antibodies to P66 during the course of HIV-1 infection.

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12th International AIDS Conference

Geneva, Switzerland - June 28-July 3, 1998

Potential protective effect of antibodies to P66 during the course of HIV-1 infection.

Int Conf AIDS 1998 Jun 28-Jul 3; 12:8 (abstract no. 11128)

Moja P, Cheynet V, Bourlet T, Mallet F, Lucht F, Pozzetto B, Genin C;;; Gimap University of St.-Etienene, France.

BACKGROUND: This study was performed to estimate the changes in levels of antibodies to reverse transcriptase during the course of HIV-1 infection.

METHODS: Sera from 89 HIV+ patients classified into 3 groups according to CD4+ cells counts, were analysed. Group 1: 30 patients with a CD4+ cells count higher than 500/mm³, group 2: 28 patients with a CD4+ cells count between 200 and 500/mm, 3 group 3: 31 patients with a CD4+ cells count lower than 200/mm³. 30 seronegative subjects matched for age, were used as controls. Specific IgA and IgG to 3 HIV antigens (gag p25, pol p66 and gp 120 V3 loop) were measured by ELISA using recombinant proteins and a synthetic peptide. IgA dosage was performed after absorption of IgG.

RESULTS: Our study confirms a relationship between the decrease of CD4+ cells counts and the IgG to p25 levels (comparison group 1/group 2 p = 0.02, group 1/group 3 p = 0.01). In the same way but more significantly, IgG to p66 levels decreased with the CD4+ cells numbers (comparison group 1/group 2 p = 0.02, group 1/group 3 p = 0.001). A decrease in IgA to p66 levels was also demonstrated but as they were not present in some patients, the value are not conclusive. As shown previously, IgG and IgA to V3 levels remained stable during the course of increase immune deficiency. We selected 20 patients followed during 5 years: a group of 10 patients termed "evolutive" with a decrease in CD4+ cells counts over this period and a group of 10 "non evolutive" patients with a stable CD4+ cells counts. The dosage of specific IgG and IgA to the three previous HIV antigens in 3 sera sampled collected during this period confirmed the higher prognostic value of IgG to p66 than of IgG to p25. Moreover IgG to p66 level was inversely related to the viral load in evolutive patients.

CONCLUSION: The presence of anti p66 antibodies seems to have a good prognostic value in HIV+ patients. These results may suggest that anti-p66 have a protective effect against HIV.

Keywords: AEGIS, HIV Infections, CD4 Lymphocyte Count, Viral Load, CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes, HIV Antibodies, Antibodies, Retroviridae Proteins, Oncogenic, Immunoglobulin A, HIV Seropositivity, Antigens, CD4, HIV Antigens, HIV Envelope Protein gp120, Immunoglobulins, Immunoglobulin G, Case-Control Studies, oncogene protein DBL, Human, immunology, ICA12
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